Drifter Held as Suspect in Five Slayings of Homeless

A 26-year-old Michigan drifter--arrested minutes after allegedly stabbing a man to death in a Wilshire District alley--was named Tuesday by Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl F. Gates as the suspect in four similar killings in and near Koreatown since Jan. 6.

Gates said one of the witnesses who saw the suspect stab the as yet unidentified victim followed the suspect about five blocks and then hailed a passing police car at Grammercy Place and Beverly Boulevard.

Hollywood Division Officers David Harrison and Steven Knieriem made the arrest at 12:10 p.m., apparently without a struggle.

In surrendering, the suspect threw down a knife, which the chief said is believed to be the weapon used in the five murders and two attempted murders of homeless men.

Gates said at a news conference that the suspect identified himself as Joseph Danks and told detectives he had come to Los Angeles from Michigan in October. That identification has not been confirmed, Gates added.

The chief did not comment on the possible motive, but detectives said last week that the first four victims were robbed. All were stabbed in the back.

Detective Don Roberts told reporters Friday that the killer “stabs with such force that it’s almost instant death. He’s vicious and he’s fast.”

Gates said Tuesday that “we have some admissions” from Danks, but declined to characterize the statements as constituting a confession.

“There are some differences in each of the killings,” Gates said, “but (there are) enough similarities to make us believe (the murders) are committed by the same person.” He said it was too early to have determined whether the blade of the knife dropped by the suspect matched the wounds of the victims.

The latest killing took place shortly before noon in an alley behind 337 S. Western Ave. on the edge of Koreatown. The victim, about 50 years old, carried no identification papers.

Police spokesman Cmdr. William Booth said there was more than one witness to Tuesday’s attack, but did not specify how many. He said only one person, whose name was withheld, followed the suspected killer.

The first victim, identified as Christopher M. Forsblade, 40, was found at 6th Street and Vermont Avenue on Jan. 6.

At noon Jan. 14, Isaac Davis, 58, was killed in the 900 block of South Menlo Avenue. Less than three hours later, John C. Coble, 55, was slain in the 2800 block of West 9th Street.

On Jan. 16, an unidentified man about 43 years old was stabbed to death in the 3000 block of West 8th Street.

Danks also is suspected of the attempted murders of Almond Lord, 64, in the 800 block of South Kenmore Avenue last Sunday afternoon and James Lyons, 58, at 6th Street and Manhattan Place at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Danks, booked on suspicion of four counts of murder and two of attempted murder, was held without bail.

Christopher John Riegel, 34, arrested last Thursday on suspicion of one of the Jan. 14 slayings, was released Tuesday after detectives determined that he had no connection with any of the killings.